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Review Of Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian

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Sometimes when you think someone has given up all hope, they might just surprise you and run; run towards their dreams and use the last glimmer of hope they had left. They surprise you with their sudden barrage of inspiration. Mary Spirit from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is a prime example of sudden inspiration and spontaneity however, at first this side of Mary is certainly hidden. When I was first introduced to Mary I felt that she had an intimidating and frigid attitude. Arnold states “After high school, my sister just froze. Didn’t go to college, didn’t get a job. Didn’t do anything. Kinda sad I guess.” (p. 26) Mary seemed to not care, about getting a job or achieving a higher education. From what …show more content…

Mary’s death had a big impact on Arnold. Although we never see him shed a tear we can tell from his outbreak into hysterical laughter and extreme denial, he was hurt. Despite the pain, he learned from Mary and the decisions she made. Mary leaving the reservation showed Arnold that venturing outside of his small world might be the best thing for him. When she left the reservation Mary had the best experiences of her life. She did die, but she died happy and fulfilled. She seemed as if she could finally breathe easy. “As the coffin settled in the dirt, it made noise, almost like a breath, you know? Like a sigh. Like the coffin was settling down for a long, long nap, for a forever nap.” (p. 209) Throughout this book Mary evolved into a risk taker, she ran towards her dream and used the last glimmer of hope she had left. She became a warrior, and because of her so did Arnold. He realized that if Mary can go to Montana he can survive Reardan and take charge of his experience there. Both Arnold and Mary had their out of the reservation breaths of fresh air. While in their own respects they were different, at the root they gave they had the same impact. These experiences allowed the both of them to leave the reservation and realize they weren’t just limited to the boundaries of the rez. Mary taught me that taking risks is important. Sometimes you have to break boundaries to reach your goal and

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The author Miller shows her as outcast which explains the need for Mary to be dependent on others all the time. Mary says, “What’s got her? Abby she is going to die! It’s a sin to conjure, and we-” then Abigail says “I say shut it, Mary warren!”

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Leaving a place that has been home for a long time is tough, but sometimes it is the right choice. In the novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, the narrator, Arnold, went to school at Wellpinit, which was in the Indian Reservation where he grew up. Unfortunately, this was an area of great despair and in order to try and make something of himself, he needed to go to school outside of the reservation. He started school at Rearden, which was an all-white school, making it difficult for him to fit in since he was the only Indian. In the novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman, Alexie Arnold has the right to leave the reservation to seek better opportunities and have a better education that can help him

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Her mother died shortly after her birth leaving her father to care for her and her half-sister, Fanny Imlay. The dynamic of her family soon changed when her father remarried. Mary was treated poorly by her new stepmother, and her quality of life was less than satisfactory. Her step-siblings were allowed to receive an education while Mary stayed at home. She found comfort in reading, and created stories in her father’s library.

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Throughout the poem, the readers can see a clear contrast between Mary and Warren’s beliefs. Warren represents the more rational part of human nature ,and Mary represents mercy and sympathy. Due to the difference of their ideologies, Mary and Warren look at the same things with different perspectives. In the beginning of the poem, Mary says to Warren, “Be kind. (Beers, p.829)”

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